1 Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a weatherstrip molding for a vehicle such as a glass run channel, belt molding or the like.
2 Description of the Related Arts
Conventionally a windshield 80 of an automobile 8 shown in FIG. 5 has a glass run channel 9 fit with an inner periphery of a windshield frame 82 so that a gap between the windshield frame 82 and a windshield glass 81 is sealed as shown in FIG. 6. A belt molding 850 is fit with an inner periphery of a lower windshield frame 85, which contacts with the windshield glass 81.
The glass run channel 9 and the belt molding 850 are generally termed as a weatherstrip molding.
Referring to FIG. 6, the glass run channel 9 is formed of a main body 91 having a U-shaped cross section fit with the windshield frame 82 of the automobile 8 and a glass lip 92 having a slide contact section slide contacted with the windshield glass 81 moving up and down for closing and opening, both of which are integral molded.
A publication of JPA-No. 320838/1992 discloses the application of a thermoplastic elastomer laminated structure for forming the above-described glass run channel 9. The thermoplastic elastomer laminated structure consists of a thermoplastic elastomer layer comprising a crystalline polyolefin and a rubber and an ultra-high-molecular polyolefin layer.
The glass run channel 9 of the above-described prior art is formed by using the thermoplastic elastomer consisting of a crystalline polyolefin and a rubber as the main body 91 and using the ultra-high-molecular polyolefin as the surface of the glass lip 92.
The above-formed glass run channel 9 using the elastomer laminated structure, however, has several disadvantageous points as described below.
As the glass run channel 9 is formed into a long elastomeric member as shown in FIG. 7(A), it is often the case that such member is folded so as to be easily handled for a certain period of storage or packing as shown in FIG. 7(B) prior to being fit with the windshield frame 82.
When using the glass run channel 9 for fitting, it is spread out again. At this time, however, a crease mark 98 is likely to be left on the glass lip 92 formed on a surface of the slide contact section as FIG. 7(C) shows. Similarly a wrinkle 99 may be left on the glass lip 92 as shown in FIG. 7(C) because of insufficient restoring force of the glass run channel 9 stretching the folded section.
As shown in FIG. 5, the windshield frame 82 has loosely curved corners 89. Fitting the glass run channel 9 with such corner 89 is likely to cause a gap therebetween owing to poor fitting. Additionally the glass run channel 9 gets unnecessarily tensed up, causing a tight stretch therein.